Health Care Vote Delayed, Westminster Attacker Identified, and More

The long-awaited vote to replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, has been delayed. That’s because, as of today, the votes to pass the bill just aren’t there yet.

Including vacancies and expected absentees, the bill would be defeated if 23 Republicans join all Democrats in voting “no.” Read the story from The AP.

Westminster Attacker Identified

Police have identified the man who carried out a deadly attack on Wednesday at London’s Parliament building. British-born Khalid Masood was shot and killed by officers after he plowed his car into several people, injuring them and killing at least two, and stabbing a police officer to death.

Police say he “was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.” But he does have a criminal record, going back to the ’80s, and ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. Read the story from NPR.

Russia Ties

Ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee Adam Schiff told MSNBC on Wednesday that there is evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Read the story from The Atlantic.

Bomb Threat Suspect Arrested

Israel has arrested a “primary suspect” who they say is behind the string of bomb threats to Jewish community centers across the country. Read the story from NPR.

Gorsuch Hearings

On the third day of Judge Neil Gorsuch’s hearings, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says Gorsuch “was unable to sufficiently convince me he’d be an independent check” on President Trump. Read the story from NPR.

Privacy Rules

USA, USA!

For the first time ever, Team USA took home the World Baseball Classic title, shutting out Puerto Rico 8-0. Read the story from NPR.

Bye-bye, Sears

In an SEC filing, Sears says that there’s “substantial doubt exists related to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” Read the story from The Atlantic.

What Book You Missed

Today’s news of the delay on the vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act is just a drop in the bucket of what seem to be constant debates about health care. In all the noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what equal access to health care really means for a country: longer lifespans, higher GDP, a more functional society. As Michael Marmot’s The Health Gap proves, these factors aren’t the causes of better health care in any given country — these are the effects. And in a world where those with higher social status outlive the poor in every country — in some cases by decades — answering why that is, beyond any overly simple economic variations, is crucial.